Down the Line
by CharlieLee
Summary: She dreams of worlds beyond, and he dreams only of her.


**Just a one-shot. In this story, Klaus knew about Elena from the time she was a little girl. Don't ask me how, don't ask me why. My thoughts rarely make sense. Anyway, in this Klaus meets Caroline when she's a little girl, because he's just passing through, and then it picks up at the scene in 3x14 at the Mikaelson ball. **

**Please review! **

* * *

She hated everyone, _all of them. _

Elena, Bonnie, Matt, Tyler, her Mom, her Dad- every _single _last one.

Elena had worn a dress prettier than Caroline's.

Bonnie had dressed up as a witch, even though Caroline had told her that it was strictly _not _a costume party.

Matt had arrived late, which was just a no in Caroline's book.

Tyler had pushed her over in the dirt, immediately ruining her party dress.

Her Mom was the reason that her Dad hadn't shown up, even if he'd insisted it wasn't.

Her Dad hadn't even bothered to show up.

So, that had led her doing laps around the block in her silver sandals. She was currently on lap number seven, and not having cooled down in the slightest. She huffed for the fiftieth time, and stomped her feet. It wasn't fair. It was _her _birthday, and nobody was following the itinerary. She sat down on the bench at the end of the street, mumbling about how stupid everyone was, and how stupid Mystic Falls was.

"Everything alright, Sweetheart?" Somebody asked from beside her, and Caroline let her eyes drift to the man standing beside her. He was tall, with blonde, curly hair, and he was skinny. He was smiling, but he didn't look happy. She looked down, and turned her head in the opposite direction when he sat down beside her. "Cat got your tongue?"

"I'm not allowed to talk to strangers."

"I'm Nik. Now, are we friends?"

"No." She admonished, turning around. "You can't just be friends like that. You have to-" She paused, trying to find the right words. "Friends know _everything _about each other, like secrets and stuff. And they have slumber parties! Elena, Bonnie, and me-"

"And I." He corrected,

"What?"

"Elena, Bonnie, and I."

"Whatever," She rolled her eyes at him "Anyway, Elena, Bonnie, _and I _always have slumber parties." She told him, and he nodded along with her, listening intently. "Well, we used to. We're not friends anymore."

"Why's that?" She didn't even hesitate in answering. She was too mad to remember all the 'stranger danger' rules.

"They _ruined _my birthday."

"It's your birthday?"

"Obviously." She said, pointing to the sparkling pink tiara sitting on her head. "I'm eight today."

"That's very old."

"Could you tell my Mom that? She _still _won't let me play outside when it gets dark." He laughed at her, again.

"Aren't you afraid of the dark?" She scoffed,

"No! I'm not a baby." She twirled a strand of blonde hair around her finger, and sighed dramatically. "I just- Nobody ever picks me."

"Picks you for what?"

"_Everything." _She told him, as though he should have known the answer. "Everyone always likes Elena better, even my own Mom. 'Oh, Elena. You look just like a Princess!'. I mean, it's my birthday. I'm supposed to be the only Princess!"

"I wouldn't be too envious of the doppelganger, Love."

"Of the what?"

"Elena," He corrected himself, and she just accepted it. So naive, so trusting.

"You don't know Elena, do you?" She asked,

"No, not personally." She wrinkled her nose.

"You talk funny."

"I think you '_talk funny' " _He retaliated, a small smile playing across his lips. She didn't look impressed, and resumed her angry position of having her arms crossed her chest. "I'm from England."

"England?!" She squealed, her eyes lighting up in excitement.

"Yes, have you been?" Her smile fell, and her shoulders sagged. She lowered her gaze from his, defeated.

"I've never really been anywhere."

"I'll take you!" He said, rubbing his hands together excitedly. "Wherever you want to go."

"Disney World?!" She asked, her voice reaching a pitch that he was certain only dogs could hear.

"Think bigger, Love. Paris, Rome, Tokyo. Anywhere you like." She laughed, and he laughed along with her, happy to have put a smile on her face.

"You're sort of strange, Nik. And I can't really go anywhere with you because I've got school on Monday." He stifled a laugh as he took in her face, contorted in a mixture of pure disgust and seriousness.

"Well, that's a pity."

"I know." She looked at him, pity written all over her face. "Maybe at the weekend." She pursed her lips, and patted his arm in a soothing manner.

"Maybe, one day." He confirmed. Something on her wrist glinted in the sun, and he narrowed his eyes at the bracelet. "That's a nice bracelet."

"Isn't it?" She gushed, her entire face lighting up. "My Dad and his boyfriend got it for me. It's _very _expensive," She bragged. "Elena has nothing like it."

"I'm sure."

"I'm only allowed to wear it today because it's my birthday, then it has to be put away for when I'm older." She said, sighing again. "But whats the point?" She threw both hands up in exasperation. "My Dad's not even here to see me wear it. He didn't even come to my _eighth _birthday." Her face twisted in anger, and she stood suddenly. "It isn't fair!" She stomped her foot again, "It's _my _birthday. Everyone should be here for me! That includes my Dad, right?" She began to fumble with the bracelet on her wrist. He watched her for several minutes as she struggled to unfasten the clasp. Eventually, she got it off, but he was sure that she'd snapped the delicate clasp. "I don't even want the stupid bracelet." She threw it onto the ground with as much force as she could muster.

Tears were streaming heavily down her cheeks, and she was seconds away from having a snotty nose.

He picked the bracelet up, and pulled a tissue from his pocket. She was a cute little thing, frustrated by never being enough. It was something he understood. It was a pity she'd probably die in the years to come, assuming she remained friends with the doppelganger. She'd be collateral damage. Either way, she'd resent him. Perhaps, he'd check in on her over the years.

"Tomorrow," He began, "You'll feel differently."

"I won't." She practically growled. She was eight, she obviously knew what she wanted. "You have it. We're friends. It's a present." She insisted. He opened his mouth to protest, but never got the chance.

"Caroline?" A woman called from just up the street. The little girl rolled her eyes,

"That's my Mom." She informed him,

"You should go, enjoy the rest of your birthday." He said, grasping her shoulders, he held her gaze.

"I'll enjoy the rest of my birthday." She repeated, almost robotically.

"You'll forget our conversation, you'll forget about your bracelet. If your Mother asks you'll tell her you lost it."

"Caroline?" Another call came, more frantic this time.

"Go home, Sweetheart." He released her, watching as she ran home.

He spoke again once he saw her reach the house, his voice no more than a whisper,

"Happy Birthday, Caroline."

* * *

"And what about these?" She asked, lifting her wrist to show him the bracelet. "Where'd you steal this from?"

"Well, that's a long story." She raised her eyebrows, "But rest assured, it was worn by a princess _almost _as beautiful as you." She scoffed, and rolled her eyes. He grimaced. She'd been much easier to talk to as a child, much more accepting of him. But he liked her better now. She'd grown into a beautiful woman, inside and out. Granted, she'd had her more neurotic moments during her earlier teen years, but she was growing up.

He'd seen it, stolen some moments, few and far between.

She looked down at the table in front of them, taking in the drawings that were scattered on top of each other. "Wait a second," She picked one up, "did- Did you do these?"

"Yeah, um." He turned to face her, "Actually, one of my landscapes is hanging at the Hermitage, _not that anyone would notice. _Have you been?" She lowered her gaze,

"I've never really been anywhere." She admitted,

"I'll take you." He told her, mirroring their first conversation. "Wherever you want." He smiled at her. "Rome," She glared at him, her lips pursed. "Paris," He grinned. She rolled her eyes, but a small smile crept onto her lips. "Tokyo."

She laughed, "Oh, wow." and he found himself laughing with her. "It must be nice to just snap your fingers and get whatever you want." His smile faltered, and he opened his mouth to explain. "Is that why you collect hybrids? A little servant army to take you places and bring you things."

"You're making assumptions." He said, his voice low.

"Why do need Tyler? Stop controlling him. Give him his life back." He wasn't sure if it was a plea, or an order. He looked down, smirked, and licked his lips.

"You know, this has been a fun evening-" His voice was filled with an unspoken threat. "but I think it's time for you to leave." He expected her to run, or at least leave quickly, but she remained in front of him.

"I get it. Your father didn't love you, so you assume no one else will either." He voice was soft, "And that's why you compel people, or sire them, or you try to buy them off-" She unclasped the bracelet that he had returned to her from her wrist, this time with no difficulty. She threw it to the ground in front of him, for the second time in her life. "But that's not how it works. You don't connect with people because you don't even try to understand them." She stormed away from him, and he opened his mouth, gaping like a fish.

He watched her walk away, all the while trying to think of a retort, something he could say to her, but nothing came to mind.

It was several moments later, however, that the smirk crept back onto his face.

Unbeknownst to herself, Caroline had just given him an oppurtunity to return the bracelet to her,

_Again. _


End file.
